GB2106377A

GB2106377A - Overbed table

Info

Publication number: GB2106377A
Application number: GB08129287A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Doherty
Original assignee: DOHERTY AND SONS Ltd EDWAR
Current assignee: DOHERTY AND SONS Ltd EDWAR
Priority date: 1981-09-28
Filing date: 1981-09-28
Publication date: 1983-04-13
Also published as: GB2106377B

Abstract

A cantilever overbed table for use by patients in hospitals and nursing homes, comprises a telescopic post (10) which supports a table top (12) in cantilever fashion, and a wheeled chassis to which the lower end of the upright post is connected. In order that the telescopic post may be raised or lowered very easily by a patient using the overbed table, a tension spring in the post provides power assistance during raising or lowering after release of a locking mechanism, an operating lever (42) for releasing the locking mechanism is pivotally mounted on the telescopic post just below the table top, the lever having a portion (46) in the form of a hand grip which extends substantially the full width of the table top (12). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Overbed Table This invention relates to cantilever overbed tables for use by patients in hospitals and nursing homes.

It has already been proposed to make an overbed table with a telescopic upright post which supports a table top at its upper end, the lower end of the telescopic post being supported on some kind of wheeled chassis. The chassis can for example be of 'I' shape with four castors at the ends of the cross pieces, or it could equally well comprise two parallel bars or tubes each having castors at its two ends with the lower end of the telescopic post being supported on a cross member or plate which bridges the gap between the two parallel bars or tubes.

In some overbed tables of this general construction, the telescopic post is contracted or extended by means of a manually operated simple hand screw mounted on the upper end of the telescopic post. In other forms of construction, however, a coiled tension spring is mounted within the hollow post so as to give power assistance to raising or lowering of the post by the patient or nurse once a locking member has been released to allow the outer telescopic member of the post to move up and down relatively to the inner telescopic member of the post.

The present invention is concerned with an overbed table of the last-mentioned construction, i.e., a table having an upright telescopic post provided with an internal tension spring and locking means between the two telescopic members forming the post.

One of the disadvantages of existing overbed tables of this particular construction is that the operating member for releasing the locking mechanism between the two telescopic members has not been very accessible. With a view to overcoming this disadvantage, the present invention makes provision for a full width operating lever to be pivotally mounted on the telescopic post just below the table top, the lever being so long as to extend the full width of the table top.

An example of an overbed table in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of the overbed table; Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through an upper portion of the table; and Figure 3 is a section through part of the telescopic post forming part of the table.

The overbed table shown in Figure 1 comprises a telescopic upright post 10, a table top 12 mounted at the upper end of the post, a crossplate 14 attached to the lower end of the post and two parallel support members 16 and 1 8 provided with castors 20 and 22, respectively. As will be seen, the post 10 is mounted at one end of the table so that the table top 1 2 is supported in cantilever fashion. This permits the post 10 to be brought near to the side of a bed with the table top 1 2 extending over the bed.

The telescopic post 10 comprises an inner telescopic member 24 and an outer telescopic member 26. Both these members are made of hollow metal section, and in this particular instance they are of rectangular cross section although this is not essential. The provision of a telescopic post such as this enables the height of the table top 12 to be varied according to the height of the bed and the needs of the patient.

Hitherto the height of the post 10 has been varied in two main ways. The first involves the provision of a manually operated simple hand screw which can be rotated in either sense so as to raise or lower the outer telescopic member 26 with respect to the inner telescopic member 24 in the manner of a lathe slide. An alternative construction is to use a coiled tension spring within the hollow post 10 so as to give power assistance to raising or lowering of the post once a locking member has been released to allow the outer telescopic member 26 of the post to move up and down relatively to the inner telescopic member 24.

The overbed table shown in the drawings is of the type having a coiled tension spring within the base 10, and this is shown diagrammatically at 28 in Figure 3 of the drawings. A straight portion 30 of the tension spring coming off the coil 28 is attached at its lower end to a slide member 32 which is able to slide along a vertical guide rod 34 which is attached, directly or indirectly, to the inner telescopic member 24. The slide rod 32 has a control rod 36 attached to it, and this slide rod extends upwards through the post 10 so as to be pivotally attached at its upper end to a plate 38 (see Figure 2) which is pivotally mounted at 40 on the upper end of the outer telescopic member 26.

Forming an integral part of the plate 38 is an operating lever 42 which is formed by a cranked neck part 44 and a hand-grip 46 which is long enough to extend to full width of the table top 12 as shown in Figure 1. Further, it will be seen that this hand-grip 46 is placed just beneath one end of the table top 12. A patient sitting in bed therefore has no difficulty in finding the hand-grip 46 which can then be pressed up or down so as to pivot about the pivotal mounting 40 and move the rod 36. Movement of the rod 36 adjusts the position of the slide member 32 in such a way as to permit the outer telescopic member 26 to be pushed downwards or upwards with respect to the inner telescopic member 24, thereby raising or lowering the table top 12.

1. An overbed table of cantilever form for use by patients in hospital or nursing homes, comprising a hollow, telesopic, upright post which supports a table top at its upper end in cantilever fashion, and a wheeled chassis which supports the lower end of the telescopic post, there being a tension spring which is mounted within the hollow post to give power assistance during raising or

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Overbed Table This invention relates to cantilever overbed tables for use by patients in hospitals and nursing homes. It has already been proposed to make an overbed table with a telescopic upright post which supports a table top at its upper end, the lower end of the telescopic post being supported on some kind of wheeled chassis. The chassis can for example be of 'I' shape with four castors at the ends of the cross pieces, or it could equally well comprise two parallel bars or tubes each having castors at its two ends with the lower end of the telescopic post being supported on a cross member or plate which bridges the gap between the two parallel bars or tubes. In some overbed tables of this general construction, the telescopic post is contracted or extended by means of a manually operated simple hand screw mounted on the upper end of the telescopic post. In other forms of construction, however, a coiled tension spring is mounted within the hollow post so as to give power assistance to raising or lowering of the post by the patient or nurse once a locking member has been released to allow the outer telescopic member of the post to move up and down relatively to the inner telescopic member of the post. The present invention is concerned with an overbed table of the last-mentioned construction, i.e., a table having an upright telescopic post provided with an internal tension spring and locking means between the two telescopic members forming the post. One of the disadvantages of existing overbed tables of this particular construction is that the operating member for releasing the locking mechanism between the two telescopic members has not been very accessible. With a view to overcoming this disadvantage, the present invention makes provision for a full width operating lever to be pivotally mounted on the telescopic post just below the table top, the lever being so long as to extend the full width of the table top. An example of an overbed table in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of the overbed table; Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through an upper portion of the table; and Figure 3 is a section through part of the telescopic post forming part of the table. The overbed table shown in Figure 1 comprises a telescopic upright post 10, a table top 12 mounted at the upper end of the post, a crossplate 14 attached to the lower end of the post and two parallel support members 16 and 1 8 provided with castors 20 and 22, respectively. As will be seen, the post 10 is mounted at one end of the table so that the table top 1 2 is supported in cantilever fashion. This permits the post 10 to be brought near to the side of a bed with the table top 1 2 extending over the bed. The telescopic post 10 comprises an inner telescopic member 24 and an outer telescopic member 26. Both these members are made of hollow metal section, and in this particular instance they are of rectangular cross section although this is not essential. The provision of a telescopic post such as this enables the height of the table top 12 to be varied according to the height of the bed and the needs of the patient. Hitherto the height of the post 10 has been varied in two main ways. The first involves the provision of a manually operated simple hand screw which can be rotated in either sense so as to raise or lower the outer telescopic member 26 with respect to the inner telescopic member 24 in the manner of a lathe slide. An alternative construction is to use a coiled tension spring within the hollow post 10 so as to give power assistance to raising or lowering of the post once a locking member has been released to allow the outer telescopic member 26 of the post to move up and down relatively to the inner telescopic member 24. The overbed table shown in the drawings is of the type having a coiled tension spring within the base 10, and this is shown diagrammatically at 28 in Figure 3 of the drawings. A straight portion 30 of the tension spring coming off the coil 28 is attached at its lower end to a slide member 32 which is able to slide along a vertical guide rod 34 which is attached, directly or indirectly, to the inner telescopic member 24. The slide rod 32 has a control rod 36 attached to it, and this slide rod extends upwards through the post 10 so as to be pivotally attached at its upper end to a plate 38 (see Figure 2) which is pivotally mounted at 40 on the upper end of the outer telescopic member 26. Forming an integral part of the plate 38 is an operating lever 42 which is formed by a cranked neck part 44 and a hand-grip 46 which is long enough to extend to full width of the table top 12 as shown in Figure 1. Further, it will be seen that this hand-grip 46 is placed just beneath one end of the table top 12. A patient sitting in bed therefore has no difficulty in finding the hand-grip 46 which can then be pressed up or down so as to pivot about the pivotal mounting 40 and move the rod 36. Movement of the rod 36 adjusts the position of the slide member 32 in such a way as to permit the outer telescopic member 26 to be pushed downwards or upwards with respect to the inner telescopic member 24, thereby raising or lowering the table top 12. CLAIMS

1. An overbed table of cantilever form for use by patients in hospital or nursing homes, comprising a hollow, telesopic, upright post which supports a table top at its upper end in cantilever fashion, and a wheeled chassis which supports the lower end of the telescopic post, there being a tension spring which is mounted within the hollow post to give power assistance during raising or lowering of the post by a patient or nurse once a locking member has been released to allow one telescopic member of the post to move up and down relatively to the other telescopic member of the post, in which the locking member is releasable by the operation of an operating lever pivotally mounted on the telescopic post immediately below the table top, the lever having a portion which extends substantially the full width of the table top.

2. An overbed table according to claim 1, in which the portion of the operating lever which extends substantially the full width of the table top is in the form of a hand grip which can be pressed up or down so as to pivot the lever about a pivotal mounting at the top of the telescopic post.

3. An overbed table according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which a part of the operating lever lying within the telescopic post at the top of the latter takes the form of a plate connected to a control rod extending downwards within the telescopic post to a slide member to which a portion of the tension spring is connected.

4. An overbed table substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.